The Northern Humboldt Giants won three of four games at the weekend Sutter tournament to keep their fast start to the new season going.

This year’s Giants roster features players from six of the nine H-DNL varsity programs, including a couple of incoming freshmen who appear to have a bright future at the varsity level.

And with five wins in their first seven games of the summer, the Giants have hit the ground running, especially at the plate.

The Giants opened the weekend tournament with back-to-back wins over the Wheel House 15U and 17U teams by scores of 13-1 and 14-3.

They followed that with a 1-0 loss to the Paradise Storm, before closing out tournament play with a 4-0 win over Red Bluff.

The Giants also won a pair of games against the St. Bernard’s summer team last week, but also fell 6-1 to the Humboldt Eagles in Eureka on Friday night.

And it’s a group of players from throughout the H-DNL that appears to be working well together so far.

“I like the fact that this is a diverse group of kids,” said head coach Eric Agliolo, whose roster includes players from  Arcata, McKinleyville, Del Norte, Hoopa, Eureka and St. Bernards. “They all get along and I like the young talent coming into the league, specifically McKinleyville and their little group.”

Incoming high school freshmen Jake Brunner and Tate Saso have both impressed their new coach early in the season, as have 2023/24 freshmen Bode Reiniger, Rhythm Green, Hunter Carper, Joe Tanno and Mateo Reiman.

In game one over the weekend, Del Norte’s Saxon Taylor and Aidan Rice and Reiman of St. Bernard’s each had two hits, while Saso added a double.

Saso also pitched five innings for the win on the mound, with Brunner throwing two hitless innings in relief.

In game two, Ben Lukens led the way at the plate and finished 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs, while Carper also was 4-for-4 with a double.

Tanner Kees was 2-for-2 with a double, Brandon Romero was 2-for-4 and Cole Zeller and Saso each also had a hit to round out a good game at the plate for the Giants.

Tanno pithed 5.2 innings for the win on the hill, allowing three hits and striking out five, before McKinnon came in to close out the game.’

The strong pitching continued in the loss to the Storm, but the Giants bats managed just two hits, one each by Lukens and Brunner.

Green pitched five strong innings, with Kees throwing the final two innings, and the duo combined to allow just two hits.

“Our pitching was excellent, we just had no bats,” Agliolo said of the loss. 

The Giants, however, would bounce back to win their tourney finale, with Carper leading the way at the plate and finishing 2-for-3 with a double.

Luken added a double in the win, while Zeller, McKinnon, Taylor and Blake Santos each also also had a hit.

Lukens threw five scoreless innings for the win and allowed just one hit, with Carper pitching two hitless innings to close out.

Green had the hot bat in the three games last week and finished a combined 6-for-9, while Kees went 4-for-9 and Lukens was 3-for-8.

Carper, Tanno, Romero and Reiniger each also had two hits over the three games.

The Giants are scheduled to play the Southern Humboldt 76ers in Fortuna on Tuesday night.